Fairways or Futures? Rethinking Golf Courses in the Era of Renewable Energy

Global — “We’re allocating water and land to a leisure sport while communities go without electricity — it’s time to reprioritize.”— Dr. Maya El-Amin, energy equity researcher, University of Cape Town

As the demand for wind farms, solar fields, community gardens, or green housing projects increases within urban and peri-urban zones, many are questioning land allocations for "low value, high cost" land uses such as gold courses.

As the world races to scale up renewable energy and adapt to climate change, an unlikely land use is coming under scrutiny: golf courses.

From California to Cape Town, researchers, city planners, and environmental activists are questioning whether vast, resource-intensive courses — often subsidised by public land or tax breaks — are compatible with goals for sustainability, energy justice, and land equity.

In a new report from the Global Land Use Transition Forum (2025), golf courses were identified as “low-value, high-cost” land uses in urban and peri-urban zones — precisely the areas now needed for wind farms, solar fields, community gardens, or green housing projects.

Golf’s Growing Footprint

Globally, there are more than 38,000 golf courses, covering over 2 million hectares — an area larger than Rwanda. The U.S., Japan, Canada, South Korea, and the U.K. account for the highest density of courses, but new developments are also spreading across parts of Southeast Asia and the Gulf states.

In many regions, golf courses are built on prime or ecologically sensitive land: wetlands, coastal dunes, and dry grasslands that require irrigation, chemical maintenance, and extensive landscaping.

“It’s not just about land — it’s about water, energy, and social access,” said Takeshi Ogawa, former policy analyst at Japan’s Ministry of the Environment. “In a climate emergency, every hectare counts.”

What’s the Alternative?

Activists in Portugal, South Africa, and Australia are now calling for a “just transition of leisure land” — converting underused golf courses into multi-benefit landscapes. These include community solar farms owned by local cooperatives, agri-voltaic systems that combine food and energy production, urban forestation and carbon sinks, and affordable housing near city centers.In 2024, Los Angeles proposed converting a public course into a solar garden and habitat restoration site. Similar efforts are gaining traction in Lisbon, where one controversial course sits adjacent to public housing.

“This isn’t an attack on golf — it’s a conversation about climate logic,” said Nokuthula Mahlangu, policy director at GreenFuture ZA. “When land is scarce and crises are compounding, leisure must evolve.”

Policy and Pushback

Still, resistance remains strong. Golf associations and developers argue that courses generate jobs, promote tourism, and contribute to mental health and community cohesion.Some cities — especially in East Asia and the Gulf — continue to approve new golf resorts as part of luxury real estate developments marketed to elite investors.

Legal experts point out that many golf courses are built under long-term leases or public-private partnerships, making conversion legally complex.

Yet pressure is building: in 2025, the EU Sustainable Land Directive introduced clauses requiring municipalities to justify recreational land uses on carbon and equity grounds.